With over 20 years of experience covering the Steelers for the Observer-Reporter, Dale Lolley will let you know the insider scoop. Dale can also be heard on the Steelers radio network pre-game show on WDVE-FM game days and Tuesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. on ESPN 970-AM and WDVE during the season as a host of the Antonio Brown Show. Follow him on Twitter at @dlolleyor

Thursday, January 31, 2013

What we've learned from Tomlin's hires

Mike Tomlin hired a pair of assistants this week, tapping Jack Bicknell Jr., to coach his offensive line and Danny Smith to run the special teams.

Bicknell doesn't have a ton of NFL experience, but he has had success. He was part of a Super Bowl staff with the Giants. He also had a ton of success running a zone blocking scheme last year in Kansas City.

Bicknell prefers smaller, more mobile offensive linemen, which is what the Steelers have been trending toward the past few years anyway.

Smith has a ton of experience, having been an NFL assistant for 14 years.

Tomlin tried to hire him in 2009 before settling on Al Everest, but was denied an opportunity to speak with him by the Washington Redskins.

Some have tried to tie Smith's hiring to Kevin Colbert since Smith was with the Lions when Colbert was there. But the Pittsburgh native and Central Catholic High School grad also worked at Tomlin's alma mater, William & Mary for three years, so there's an obvious tie-in there as well.

Tomlin told Steelers.com he was looking for a dynamic personality to lead his special teams unit. If anything, that's probably where Amos Jones, who replaced Everest after he was fired in August, failed.

Jones, who had been the Steelers assistant special teams coach since 2007 before his promotion, was a good coach. But he never came across as a dynamic speaker.

@ Congratulations to Charlie Batch for winning the Byron "Whizzer" White Award for his charity work. Batch works extremely hard on his charity and constantly reaches out to help youth athletes in the Pittsburgh area.